正所谓知其然知其所以然，要想翻译对985和211，就要先清楚985和211的来历。

首先，211工程，是1995年国家教育部关于国家重点高校的建设工程，旨在提升高等院校的科研水平，为社会经济发展提供战略人才。（Project 211 is a project of national key universities and colleges initiated in 1995 by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, with the intent of raising the research standards of high-level universities and cultivating strategies for socio-economic development.）

该工程的名字来源于缩写：面上21世纪，办好100所高校。100是211工程涵盖的学校数量。

985工程是江泽民在1998年5月，北京大学100周年校庆上提出的，目标是在21世界建设一批世界级的高等院校，提升中国高等教育的声誉。（Project 985 is a project that was first announced by CPC General secretary and Chinese President Jiang Zemin at the 100th anniversary of Peking University on May 4, 1998, to promote the development and reputation of the Chinese higher education system by founding world-class universities in the 21st century.）

该工程的名字来源于提出的时间：1998年5月，按照中国的记时模式：98/5。

所以你要想表达学校是一所211/985大学，可以说 My university is sponsored by 211/985 Project, which is honored to be one of the best universities in China.

当然，211/985大学也可以直接表达为：a Project 211/985 university，或者也可以表达为：a national key university, a world-class university, one of the best universities in China, among the key universities in China, a highly-ranked university in China等等。